Two-division world champion Beibut Shumenov comeback fight for vacant WBA Cruiserweight World title
ASTANA, Kazakhstan (May 10, 2018)) – Two-division World Boxing Association
(WBA) World Champion* Beibut Shumenov*announced his comeback fight will be
held July 7, against 30-1* Hizni Altunkaya* for the vacant WBA
Cruiserweight World title, in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Shumenov (17-2, 11 KOs), a 2004 Kazakhstan Olympian, retired last June due
to an eye injury that required surgeries, forcing him to relinquish his WBA
cruiserweight world title.
*Shumenov vs. Altunkaya* is a presentation of Shumenov’s company, KZ Event
Productions, Inc.
The July 7th gala event will be part of the 20th anniversary celebration of
Astana being the capital of Kazakhstan. Many political dignitaries from
Kazakhstan and around the World are expected to attend Shumenov’s comeback
fight.
“I’m happy to fight for my belt,” Shumenov said from his training camp in
Kazakhstan. “My eye is 100-percent and I’m excited about fighting again.
I’m honored to fight on the 20thanniversary celebration of Astana as my
country’s capital. After this fight, I want Interim cruiserweight champion,
*Arsen Goulamirian.”*
In only his 10th pro fight, Shumenov established the fewest-fights record
for a light heavyweight world champion, when he decisioned *Gabriel
Campillo* in Las Vegas.
Shumenov became the only two-division world champion from Kazakhstan in his
last fight, when he stopped *Junior Wright* in the 10th round of their May
21, 2016 title fight, capturing the WBA Cruiserweight World Championship.
During the 34-year-old Shumenov’s professional career, he has defeated four
world champions – Campillo, *Byron Mitchell*, *William Joppy* and *Montell
Griffin*) – as well as seven world title challengers: *Epifanio
Mendoza*, *Vlacheslav
Uzelkov*, *Danny Santiago*, *Enrique Ornelas*, *Tamas Kovacs*, *BJ Flores* and
Wright.
The 30-year-old Altunkaya (30-1, 17 KOs), fighting out of Germany by way of
his native Turkey, stopped M*athias Reinhardt *in the opening round on
the *Vitali
Klitschko* versus *Shannon Briggs* World Boxing Council (WBC) Heavyweight
World Championship card in 2010 at O2 World Arena in Hamburg, Germany.
In 2011, Altunkaya won a 12-round unanimous decision over previously
undefeated *Salvatore Aiello* (29-0) for the Interim World Boxing
Federation (WBF) World cruiserweight title. The talented Turk added the
vacant Global Boxing Council (GBC) Intercontinental cruiserweight crown to
his collection in 2016, The only loss of his pro career was last year to
former World Boxing Organization (WBO) Cruiserweight World champion *Krzysztof
Glowacki* (26-1).
“I’m thankful for the chance to fight Beibut Shumenov,” Altunkaya said.
“He’s a great fighter, but I will give him my best. We have optimum time to
be fully prepared for the fight. It’s going to be a good fight. I’m coming
to Kazakhstan to win!”
Other fighters to be in action include four undefeated Kazakh prospects in
separate bouts: middleweight *Aidos Yerbossynuly *(7-0, 6 KOs), super
welterweight *Bobirzhan Mominov* (6-0, 5 KOs) and middleweight *Ibragim
Iskandarov* (2-0, 2 KOs), and pro-debuting *Mirzhan Rahimzhanov*, who was
Shumenov’s teammate on the 2004 Kazakhstan Olympic Boxing Team.
Opponents and other fights will soon be announced. All fights and fighters
are subject to change.
